CREATIVE EXPANSION

DPA, in collaboration with McCullough Mulvin (MCM) Architects, Dublin, have set the stage for an educational renaissance with the new Thapar University campus in Patiala.

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In architectural innovation, some projects leave an indelible mark, setting the stage for an educational renaissance. Eight years ago, one such endeavour was undertaken by Architects Sohrab Dalal and Sonali Bhagwati, founders of DesignPlusArchitecture (DPA), in association with MCM, Dublin, to transform the Thapar University in Patiala, Punjab.

EXPANSION STORY

Guided by its vision to become one of India's leading educational institutions, Thapar University saw itself on an ambitious journey to transform and expand its campus. The goal was to accommodate 15,000 students, three times its original capacity of 5,000. This expansion was not just about increasing numbers; it represented a larger commitment to creating a dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready academic environment.

The university's leadership understood that architecture plays a powerful role in shaping how people learn, interact, and grow. With this belief, they set out to design a campus that would encourage curiosity, collaboration, and innovation—values at the heart of modern education.

At the start of the project, the architects explained, “Our responsibility was to design buildings that met the university's needs while adding a sense of innovation, which defines contemporary educational spaces.” Their vision was to create structures that worked in harmony with the natural surroundings rather than existing in isolation.